The arena still vibrated faintly from the echoes of the duel, dust drifting down like ash from a dying flame. Seth stood at the center, shoulders squared, chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. Kael’s grip still lingered in his hand—a firm seal of respect that silenced any lingering doubt among the spectators.
Around them, murmurs swelled into a chorus.
“He… beat Kael?”
“Not just beat—he dominated! Did you see those techniques? That wasn’t ordinary magic!”
“What is he, really? What kind of Harbinger fights like that?”
The whispers circled like vultures, hungry for answers, but Seth paid them no mind. His attention remained fixed on Kael, who stepped back, leaning on his glaive for balance, a rough smile cutting across his battered face.
“You’re insane,” Kael said, his voice carry
